TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  On January 12, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez announced that as a result of her Holiday Letters to Heroes Initiative, more than 31,000 letters written by Florida students from 56 school districts have been delivered to service men and women deployed through the Florida National Guard. The letters written by Florida’s students were collected by the Department of Education and delivered during the holiday season to bring hope and encouragement to those deployed who were unable to see their own families or on active state duty for Christmas time.

“Florida’s National Guardsmen sacrifice so much to serve our state and to protect our country, especially during the holiday season. Through this initiative, we were able to show our deployed guardsmen a small token our of appreciation for their service,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “I am so proud of the incredible number of letters received from students across the state and I am thankful for the students, teachers and parents who helped to make this initiative so successful for our National Guardsmen during the holidays.”

“The response we saw from more than 30,000 students honoring our brave men and women serving in the Florida National Guard was remarkable,” said Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. “It is clear that Florida students respect and appreciate the sacrifices our service members make for us —especially during the holidays. I am so proud that our students showed up in full force to participate and encourage the Florida National Guard.”

“Our deployed Guardsmen are proud to represent this great state across the globe, and it’s truly touching that our communities were thinking about them this holiday season,” said Major General John D. Haas, The Adjutant General of Florida. “I look forward to visiting with several of them in the very near future and will personally be delivering these messages of thanks.”

For more information about the initiative, click here.

Media Release: Office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis